XCOM: Tomorrow's War edition

Welcome to Hell, Rookie.

XCOM: Tomorrow's War edition is a minor modification of the Tomorrow's War sci-fi miniatures game by Ambush Alley Games to cover the battles fought in X-Com. The rules set is scenario based rather than army list based and does most of the work already in capturing the feel of the first game. This is not an exact recreation of the system from the game, but rather adapting the style and feel to an already proven (especially in battles between imbalanced forces) miniatures combat system.

Rules in play and modifications

Items italics refer to specifically named rules in Tomorrow's War

Aliens may typically use out of contact movement and start hidden
All troops are Regulars
Building damage and breaching is in effect.
XCOM typically hold the initiative throughout the game
Combat Stress is always in effect.
Building and UFO layout and entrances are not abstracted away, they are as modeled.
Artillery and air support are almost never available for either side.
Terrain is typically laid out in 8 inch squares, one of these will nearly always contain the XCOM transport craft.

Additional Special Rules Floating movement: floating movement ignores barriers to their movement like Jump Movement, but without the speed bonus.
Significant blast effects: Several weapons have an area effect, where this is normally abstracted into the firepower in TW, some weapons deserve special attention and as such have an area of effect, each unit under this (following same rules for line of sight so measure to the rough center of the unit) is attacked by the weapon.
Incendiaries:
Stun weapons:
Psi combat:

A note on tech levels: Each force in a game has an overall tech level (TL), which covers how advanced they are generally. This the default level to be refereed to when it comes up. Now not everything in a force may be the same TL. This in particular applies to weapons and armour. A TL3 force using TL3 weapons to shoot at a TL2 force that has TL3 weapons but only TL2 armour has the advantage of a tech level over the TL2 defenses and gets a bonus dice for it. The TL2 force in return using it's TL3 weapons equals the TL of the TL3 side's armour, so no-one gets any bonus dice for attacking/armour.

Human Equipment, Tech Level 1

Rifles, pistols as in the book. Traditional Slug Throwers specifically. Basic and proximity grenades are combined into normal basic firepower, assume they're being used at the appropriate ranges. Stun Batons: models hit in close assault are rendered unconscious automatically (no first aid check) and typically count as captured for victory points (assuming XCOM is not wiped out or driven off).

Rocket launchers: small rockets are a light support weapon. This has the advantage of not losing firepower if they move, but only give +1D. Big rockets count as a medium support weapon, AP:4D Slow reload (1 shot per turn).

Autocannon and heavy cannon I am not quite sure about, largely because of the utility of their ammo. At least a medium support weapon, but possibly with a good 3 dice of firepower for explosive, though it's not very good at armour penetration or destroying buildings.

Explosives: count as breaching charges but can also be thrown up to optimum range on a successful TQ test, doing AP4/AT4 medium, with a 4” diameter blast attacking all units within that area (as artillery).

Medikit: Anyone with a medikit can wake up stunned models in the same manner as a first aid check (no roll required, the stunned unit automatically counts as OK on the first aid table), and uses the advanced first aid table.

Motion scanners: +1 dice shift when rolling to detect hidden units. Prevents out of contact movement within 8”.

Human Tech Level 2

Rifles and pistols become laser versions.

Heavy lasers, medium support weapon +2D firepower, Laser support weapon (LWS)

Laser cannon: Heavy Weapon platform based version, Heavy AP:3 AT:3 LWS

Power armour: the basic suit Count as TL2 power armour. It's not slow, but gives +3D armour, doubles the unit's optimum range and likely makes them high confidence. There's nout fancy to it in game beyond protection, but you might want to add advanced censors. Not on-board medical AI though.

Personal armour: 1D protection. Snazzy colour.

Tech Level 3

Humans get the Flying Heavy Weapons Platform with plasma and the not-blaster bomb launcher.

Flying power armour 3D Jump infantry.

Fusion ball launcher: Slight downgrade version of the blaster bomb launcher, mounted on a Flying Heavy Weapon Platform.

Plasma cannon: bigger plasma gun mounted on a Flying Heavy Weapon Platform

Equipment for Psi attack capable units:

Mindprobe: +1 dice shift when attempting to detect hidden units, doubles the optimum range of the model for this purpose. Prevents out of contact movement within 12”. Aliens also use this device.

Psi Amplifier (psi amp): allows humans with at least D8 psi strength to make psi attacks at equal skill to there psi strength.

Alien TL 2

Alien grenades, function as human explosives but TL2.

Alien TL3

Plasma pistol and rifle replace lasers for this TL

Heavy Plasma: light support weapon +1D.

Small launcher: light support weapon +1D, if it hits it will only stun a target, no casualty check, counts as a capture same as stun baton.

Blaster Bomb Launcher: the ultimate alien weapon in many ways, a guided (really really guided, this thing will snake it's way down a corridor, up the stairs, out the bedroom window and into a garden shed without problems. Impact detonated though so has trouble with airborne targets) missile launcher that has enough power to reliably breach the outer hull of a UFO or blow out an entire floor of a large house.

ALIENS

Aliens in XCOM fight like humans, which is fair enough. Most tend to in games. The ways they distinguish themselves in TW would be their notably higher average quality, their use of terror units rather than drones or vehicles, and their massive initial technological advantage.

Aliens and supplies: As a rough guide aliens should be at Normal level of supplies, for additional harshness make that Abundant (gives additional firepower). Due to aliens typically operating alone rather than in teams, avoid Low supplies (reduces firepower) unless using larger units. A thematically appropriate use of low supplies and larger units would be a raid on a heavily damage terror or battle ship.

Floaters typically found in scouting or terror missions. The weakest of alien types.

Floater TQ: D6 Morale: D8 Confidence: Normal Tech Level: 3 Psi Strength: D6 Armour: none Traits: Floating movement

Reaper Terror unit TQ: D6 Morale: D10 Confidence: High Tech Level: 2 Psi Strength: D6 Armour: 1D Traits: Hard to Kill D6 Intimidating Natural weapons

Sectoids Perhaps the most numerous of alien types, can be found on all missions. Leaders and Commanders can use psi attacks, otherwise fairly average individually.

Sectoid TQ: D8 Morale: D10 Confidence: Normal Tech Level: 3 Psi Strength: D8 Armour: none Traits:

Cyberdisk terror unit, floating bastards self destruct, semi organic very high psi strength, plasma beam weapon with high accuracy and rapid fire especially in reactions.

Mutons The real footsoldiers, heavily augmented but fortunately somewhat stupid. Can be found on all missions. There are no Muton Leaders, Commanders, or even Medics. Engineers may have small launchers. Up to 2 per ship may have blaster bombs

Muton TQ: D10 Morale: D10 Confidence: High Tech level: 3 Psi strength: D6 Armour: 2D Traits: Hard to Kill (D6)

Celatid Terror unit, floating blob with acidspit D8 psi defence, small, fast, weakly armoured, grenade-like limited spit range, spi can eat through even UFO walls on occasion

Silacoid Terror unit, crawling blob, fireproof, no ranged attack, heavy armour, slow, D10 psi defence

Snakemen Average soldiers, typically found on terror, abduction or harvest missions with the ever friendly cryssalids. Snakemen don't have Medics.

Snakemen TQ: D8 Morale: D10 Confidence: Normal – High Tech Level: 3 Psi strength: D8 Armour: 1D Traits: Slow Reactions (-1 to roll on reaction tests) Slow Movement (may only tactical move)

Cryssalids TQ: D8 Morale: D12 Confidence: High Tech Level: 2 Armour: 1D Psi strength: D8 Traits: Natural Weapons (+1D attack in close combats) Fast: moves 9"/18" Making Everything Worse: If a model loses in close combat to a cryssalid, replace that model with a zombie* that may act next turn. They count as dead for objectives. He's coming right for us!: Cryssalids automatically pass checks to assault into close combat. Sucks to be you.

Zombie TQ: D6 Morale: D12 Confidence: High Tech Level: 1 Armour: none Psi strength: D8 Traits: Slow: zombies may only move at tactical speed (6") OH SHI-: zombies that are hit are removed and replaced with a cryssalid that may act next turn. He's coming right for us!: Zombies also automatically pass checks assault into to enter close combat.

Ethereals The directors of the other aliens. Typically they turn up in the late game, riding round in battleships and terror ships. There are no Ethereal Navigators, Engineers, or Medics. Ethereal Leaders will be used in their place. Floating strong psi, good aim, fast, good psi skill, all can psi attack, strong nightvision

Sectopods Terror unit, vulnerable to lasers, strong shooting attack, semi-organic robotic very high psi strength, very well armoured.

X-COM

This shall be divided into the various game segments

XCOM units vary in their TQ and Morale depending on experience.

Rookies: TQ D6, Morale D6
Squaddies: TQ D8 Morale D8
Officers: TQ D10 Morale D10

Some D8 and higher quality troopers may have Leadership +1 to +3 for the highest ranks. Attrition means forces may typically be at least half Rookies with a few higher ranks as in the initial missions up to 90% casualties may be tolerated before aborting due to the desperate situation the world is in, though for late game the majority of XCOM units should be Squaddies or higher in quality as XCOM gets a handle on the situation.

Supply levels

These could be used to show how well/badly XCOM units are doing at countering the alien threat. Supplies at low combined with older equipment and a greater proportion of rookies in the unit would do well to represent a hard-pressed unit that's had a lot of losses in combat, even if their missions were successful. An abundantly supplied unit could be well justified in having next to no rookies and plenty of officers and alien equipment, perhaps even ahead of their base tech level (using a few plasma rifles mixed in with the laser rifles for example).

Early game XCOM typical raiding force composition

TL 1 equipment available

1-3 Rifle teams: 2-4 rookies with rifles.
0-2 Raiding party: 2-4 rookies or squaddies stun batons and pistols
1-3 Support teams: 2 rookies or squaddies with a rifleman and a rocket launcher, autocannon or cannon
0-2 Engineer team: 1-2 rookie or squaddies with rifles and explosives
1 Team leader: squaddie or officer with leadership +1/+2 and weapon of choice, typically a rifle.

0-2 Heavy weapon platform (tank) cannon
0-2 Heavy weapon platform (tank) missile

Mid game

TL2 Human equipment available

Personal armour common, all units may take it as long as supplies are at normal or abundant.
Power armour uncommon, only squaddie or officer ranks.
Lightning can be used as an alternative to the Skyranger but does not fully replace it.

1-3 Rifle teams: 2-4 rookies or squaddies with laser rifles.
0-2 Raiding party: 2-4 rookies or squaddies stun batons and laser pistols
1-3 Support teams: 2 rookies or squaddies with a laser rifleman and a rocket launcher, heavy laser.
0-2 Engineer team: 1-2 rookie or squaddies with laser rifles and explosives
1-2 Team leaders: officer with leadership +1/+2 and weapon of choice, typically a laser rifle.

0-2 Heavy weapon platform (tank) missile
0-2 Heavy weapon platform (tank) Laser

TL1 weapons may be included if desired, some TL3 alien equipment may be added in if XCOM is doing well. Alien grenades may also be distributed amongst the squads.

Late game

TL3 Human equipment available, XCOM now also widely uses alien equipment.
Human Psi units available and level of psi strength can be determined before battle.

Power armour and personal armour common.
Flying armour uncommon, typically used by officers and specialists.
Avenger replaces the Skyranger transport.

1-3 Rifle teams: 2-4 rookies or squaddies with plasma rifles/heavy plasma.
0-2 Raiding party: 2-4 rookies or squaddies stun batons and plasma pistols.
1-3 Support teams: 2 rookies or squaddies with a plasma/heavy plasma rifleman and a blaster bomb launcher or small launcher.
0-2 Engineer teams: 1-2 rookies, squaddies or officers with plasma rifles and explosives/alien grenades.
0-4 Psi war teams: 1-3 rookies, squaddies or officers with plasma rifles/heavy plasma and Psi Amps or Mind Probes.
1-2 Team leaders: officer with leadership +1/+2/+3 and weapon of choice, typically a heavy plasma.

0-3 flying heavy weapon platform (tank) plasma
0-3 flying heavy weapon platform (tank) fusion ball

Feel free to use older equipment and the occasional officer (without leadership) mixed in with the various teams.

Occasionally XCOM actually gets lucky with a one-in-a-million trooper. This man was the greatest of them.

Marc Lecointe TQ: D12 Morale: D12 Confidence: High Tech Level: 2 Psi strength: D12 Armour: Personal Armour 1D Traits: Hard to Kill: D10 Intimidating Improved Reactions: +1 to the roll for reaction tests

Armed with a laser rifle or heavy plasma.

Extra guff

Suggested miniatures for 15mm play

Because 15mm is cheap and easier to find stuff for. Rebel Miniatures or 15mm.co.uk for Sectoids Critical Mass Games for Snakemen Ground Zero Games for humans and especially heavy weapon platforms (drones)